Why am I still waiting for NatWest to transfer my £15k Isa four months later?

On 12 September 2011, I applied to NatWest Bank for their fixed Isa at Bexleyheath Kent Branch. I was told the £15,340 in my Leeds Building Society account would be transferred into the above account and the Isa would commence on the 4 November.

At the beginning of November I received a letter saying that my two-year Isa Issue 21 started on the 4 November and the amount in the Isa was zero - in other words nothing had been put in.

Since then I have made at least six phone calls each time being kept on the line for 30 or more minutes and passed from one person to another and every time being promised it would be done immediately. Nothing has changed.

Now it is two months further down the line and still no nearer the money being transferred. Meanwhile I am losing all the interest plus all the cost in phone calls. Is there any way you can help me?Peter French, London

Dan Hyde, of This is Money, replies: It is not right that you were forced to email me to sort out this Isa transfer mess. Really, NatWest staff should have corrected the situation as soon as you got in touch in November.

Isa transfer chaos was a feature of 2010. Banks and building societies consistently bodged and bungled their way as vast numbers of savers snapped up the best buys. Months of delays were commonplace.

Since then, the situation has improved. Banks are now given a 'guideline' of 15 days to transfer an Isa by HMRC – anything outside of that and you have cause for complaint. I've had far fewer gripes in my inbox and the likes of Nationwide and Halifax even promise to pay interest from day one of your application, whatever happens.

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You had what seemed a clear-cut case of poor service. I contacted NatWest to find out what went wrong. Their complaints team promised a speedy investigation and rang you at the beginning of January to clear things up. According to NatWest, there was 'was some confusion over how the forms had been filled in' and it wasn't clear you wanted to move any money.

This seems a little rich considering you were trying to transfer an Isa. For an outfit claiming to be Britain's 'most helpful bank', I'm not impressed by NatWest's lack of communication. If they had doubts over whether you wanted the funds switched from your Leeds BS account, they should have cleared this with you - not forced you to make endless calls to no avail.

NatWest is apologetic over the six phone calls at half an hour a pop you suffered. It has added all the interest you would have received if the transfer hadn't failed, and as a gesture of goodwill has paid you £75 for telephone and time inconveniences.

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Why am I still waiting for NatWest to transfer my Isa four months later?